Jay and Silent Bob are icons from the ’90s that have etched their place in most people’s hearts. Kevin Smith as a director has produced some real gems. His knowledge of pop culture and his weird imagination has often created cult classics. Jay and Silent Bob have been in almost all of his movies.
Enter the Reboot. Like so many movies, Jay and Silent Bob seem to be getting a reboot, well kind of. Honestly, the title is misleading as it is a direct sequel. The movie does, however, tackle the reboot agenda head-on in the iconic Kevin Smith parody.
The last two JnSB movies were made a while back and reached a very different audience. I was that audience, and not a word of a lie, it had me in stitches. I am a huge Kevin Smith fan. How big? Well, I watched Tusk… till the end. Yes, the last few movies that Smith churned out were far from his usual pop-culture friendly but unorthodox style. This is his return to form but not without some bruises.
Synopsis
Essentially the movie is another adventure of the titular characters who embark on a mission to stop the reboot of Bluntman and Chronic. Their misadventures lead them to revisit certain characters from the past as well as new ones as they make their way to Hollywood. Of Course, all of these characters are played by famous actors who are real-life friends of Kevin Smith. That is part of his formula.
Remake the Reboot
This movie works both as a fun throwback to the ’90s as well as a modern update to Smith’s weird and wonderful collage of movies. It tackles the current Hollywood agenda in humorous ways. Of course, the main point of parody is over the current trend of reboots. This is both highlighted in the title itself and followed through the course of the plot.
Many of Kevin’s past stars pop in for brief cameos. This further enhances the nostalgia portion of the film. Most importantly they don’t feel shoehorned in.
On the surface, the movie is slapstick comedy but dig a little deeper and we find a lot of these agendas’ I mentioned earlier. Everything from whitewashing to more prominent female roles is all hit with a bag of feathers.
Review
This is a return to form for Kevin Smith. He has been off his form lately. It isn’t his finest work, but it hits the right notes for his fans. And that’s exactly what this is. A movie for his fans. It doesn’t mean if you haven’t watched the previous two you won’t enjoy it. The movie has plenty of its merit in keeping the audience laughing. The jokes are contemporary and more than a little relevant. Of course, some are pretty on the nose and this while very in line with Smith’s style may feel out of place to some.
This isn’t the big-budget movie spectacle that has impregnated the market. It isn’t some noir movie planting seeds to bloom Oscars. This is what Jay and Silent Bob have always been. Two goofballs of on an adventure having the conversations that you and I have with our friends. It’s funny and stupid and very much on point.
